I hate what I've become
by Daina Solo
Summary: Artemis is hurt and dying. Apollo is becoming... a monster. I hate what I've become, the nightmare's just begun Real title to long to fit


She lay her head back down and he sighed. Her face was as pale as the winter moon itself and those silver eyes didn't even flicker a bit.

"Is she-" Leto asked, Apollo raised a hand,

"No mother, not even close." He said admitting his weakness. His own sister, the other half of his heart the only one who still loved him back it seemed was dying, slowly and surely. Apollo sat on the edge of the cot his sister was using put his face in his hands, and sighed. "I'm trying all that-" His mother bit her lip,

"I know, Apollo all of Olympus knows." She rested a hand on his shoulder, "Good luck." Apollo laughed, it was a harsh and rough laugh, more of a sarcastic laugh,

"Yah, like it will do any good." He whispered as his mother left the infirmary. A slight coughing awoke Apollo from his lament. "Artemis?" He asked turning around to see her. Her forehead was collecting beads of sweat every second it seemed and her dark auburn hair was plastered to her clammy face. Her eyes flickered for a few seconds till the silver orbs opened,

"Apollo?" she asked as he smiled. Apollo nodded,

"Yah." He said in a broken voice. Artemis stopped smiling, her eyebrows creased in worry.

"Don't worry for me, joy Apollo remember joy." Apollo wanted to ask, _how is there joy when one of us is broken inside it isn't pure joy unless we both are happy_,

"Yah, joy…" He rested a hand on her forehead. She was hot and had a high fever. Apollo cursed when he felt it. He kissed her forehead and said "'Night." Before turning off the light and laying in his own bunk across the room.

The next morning a fit of coughing woke up Apollo. Artemis was still in bed having a coughing attack. As Apollo rushed over he saw that she looked now better than she did yesterday, she looked worse. When he reached her bed Apollo broke. He could take seeing his twin in that much pain. She had quit a few wounds, a fever; she threw up a lot, coughing fits, no appetite at all and so many other things wrong. Apollo sunk down to the floor and screamed. Everything was blurry as tears rolled down his face in violent streams.

"Apollo are you in- oh no." Athena stepped into the room and found Apollo lying on the floor wishing to die. She walked over to him and knelt down to press a warm hand to his wet cheek. "Apollo, what happened?" She asked Apollo moved his head to the right and Athena fingers flicked over the puddle of salty tears the floor had collected. Athena realized Apollo wouldn't tell her so she kissed his forehead and whispered, "I understand." and then left. After Athena had closed the gold doors, the screaming continued. It was a scream of loss and pain and anger so much more. Throughout the week Apollo lied there alone. Soon everyone begged him to get up. Over the course of days Apollo didn't rise out of bed, he had given up trying to help Artemis. The next morning Athena had coaxed Apollo to go out to the garden, she sat next to him. Apollo was listing to Athena talk to him but wasn't letting it sink into his brain.

"Apollo, just try. If she starts fading you will too-" Apollo slammed his fist on the bench and got up,

"She isn't fading Athena, she sick. No one can help her, the Fates are working, I can't do anything don't you see." He spat at the goddess tears starting to streak down his cheeks, his fingernails digging into the skin of his palm. Athena's brows furrowed, she realized she couldn't do anything for Apollo so she left. Apollo started thinking back how long had Artemis been sick? He started thinking about when she had first been called 'sick'.

_Athena had knocked on the doors of the room he and Artemis shared. Apollo had opened the doors she see Athena holding Artemis limp in her arms._

"_She just collapsed." She said not waiting for Apollo to ask. Later on Artemis had woken up with a slight fever, she had said,_

"_I was talking to Ares and I made him really mad and then… I walked off then went to lunch and black out."_

Apollo sat back down realizing what had happened, Ares had called down a illness. Ares had cursed her. It was just Apollo's luck that Ares happened to be walking down the path right when Apollo figured it out. The golden haired god got up and punched Ares in the face.

"What in _Hades _was that for?" He asked as Apollo stood back ready to strike again,

"You killed Artemis, and you know _it_." he hissed swinging another blow this time at Ares chest.

"Yah, I did." He answered smugly. Ares took another blow to the face as Apollo asked,

"Why!" Ares shrugged,

"She was being a brat." He said it like it was no big deal. Apollo grit his teeth,

"So you decided to kill my little sister." Ares smiled,

"Yah." This got him a blow in the gut. A small hand crept up and rest on Apollo's back. He whirled around and didn't see who it was in time. His fist slide across her nose and slammed into her cheek. Her silver eyes flashed as she fell.

"Ap-po-llo?" She whispered as she fell. Artemis slid across the pavement her nose bleeding. Ares chuckled,

"See what you did now 'big bro'?" Apollo glared at the war god and bent down to help Artemis. Her eyes flickered,

"Arty, I-I am so sorry."


End file.
